


To Find A Home

by Aceofstars16



Series: "To Find A Home" Series [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Other, adoption au, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 23:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13623507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aceofstars16/pseuds/Aceofstars16
Summary: In an AU where all of Peter’s family are killed during the Stark Expo, Tony ends up taking in Peter as a means to improve his status with the press. It seems like a dream to live with Mr. Stark, but can the Stark mansion really be a true home for Peter?





	1. Adjustments

**Author's Note:**

> Artwork by [shoyzz-art](http://shoyzz-art.tumblr.com/)

Peter’s eyes couldn’t stop moving. There was too much to see. Panels on the wall that controlled lights, temperatures, music - just about anything - though Peter assumed there were some safety protocols in place to keep just anyone from controlling them. Fingerprint or voice activated probably. Maybe even both. But the gadgets weren’t the only intriguing things. The mansion itself was huge, it was bigger than his old apartment building with room to spare. It could fit so much and yet Peter knew only one person lived there. Scratch that, two. From now on this was going to be his home. And as exciting as that was, Peter couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. It was so big, so strange, so distant. Sure, it was grand but it didn’t feel much like a home.

“Well, here it is. Don’t touch anything. Your room is down that hall to the left.”

Glancing up at the man who had picked him up, Peter couldn’t help but feel even more nervous. “Is…is Mr. Stark here?”

The man – what was his name again? Smiley or something like that? Peter couldn’t remember - he had been in a dazed state for the past few days. Either way, the man just shrugged. “Yeah, he’s probably working. Don’t bug him, he’ll come up when he’s done. Now run along.”

More anxiety gripped Peter’s chest, but he took a deep breath and made himself walk forward. It would be okay, everyone had been telling him new homes took a while to get used to. But Peter never thought it would feel so lonely.

Walking down the hallway, Peter saw a door with a piece of paper stuck to it, three words written on it in sketchy handwriting. “The kid’s room.”

With another breath, Peter opened it. The room inside looked almost normal. A bed with plain blue sheets, a modern dresser, a side table, and a door which Peter assumed lead to a closet. There was a control panel inside as well, along with a few lamps and a few pieces of art, if you could call it that. They were mostly just splatters of paint but it was nice to have some color in the room.  
Sitting on the bed, Peter looked around again, but there wasn’t much more to be seen. In short, there was nothing to keep him from reflecting on his current situation. The worry in his stomach was mixed with an unbelief that he was actually here. Every day since Mr. Stark had shown up at his halfway house and talked to him, Peter had to convince himself that it hadn’t been a dream. He could still picture the scene in his head and hear Mr. Stark’s words.

“Here’s the deal kid. I’m in a bit of a tight spot with the press, and the best way to get out of it is to show everyone I care about the people who got hurt at the Expo – and I do care and I am sorry – but money doesn’t seem to be enough. So, what I’m offering you is a place to live, with all living and school expenses paid. You’ll be able to get the best education - anything you need. All you have to do it come out with me to some events and show other people that I’m taking care of you. How does that sound?”  
It had sounded fine to Peter, better than fine. It had been Tony Stark - Peter’s hero for years- offering to let Peter live with him. Why in the world would Peter say no? What better life could there be?

“One with my family back…” Peter whispered to himself, feeling that familiar emptiness he had come to know whenever he thought of his family.

Getting up, Peter dug through his suitcase until he found the picture he was looking for – a picture of his family. They were smiling and laughing, just happy…so happy. He pulled it to his chest and tried not to cry. He had to be strong. Things would get better if he was strong, right?

* * *

The next few days, Peter started understanding the schedule of the mansion, and that there was almost no pattern to it. He met Pepper Potts, learned that the driver’s name was Happy Hogan, and saw Mr. Stark sporadically throughout the day when he ventured from his workshop. That was something else Peter learned – he was not allowed in the workshop. The one room he really wanted to explore and he couldn’t even get near it.

And then there was the nanny. Miss Callaway. At first, she had seemed okay, cooking Peter’s meals, getting him up in the morning, and making sure he didn’t destroy things – though Peter didn’t know why anyone thought he was going to destroy anything. But then Peter got to know her and started realizing how she viewed him. Peter hadn’t done anything and yet she constantly narrowed her eyes at him and took away anything Mr. Stark had left for him, as if he didn’t deserve it. When she did she would mutter something about “spoiled brats” and then she would walk off and hide the toy who knew where. Peter looked for them later but he had a feeling she took them home with her and donated them to some needy kids…as if Peter wasn’t a needy kid himself.

That was only the start of it. Miss Callaway seemed to get worse as the days went on and Peter wished more than anything that he could simply leave the house to get away from her. But he wasn’t supposed to go back to school for a few weeks- something about a mourning period- so he was stuck. Some days he found a place he could hide from her, reading some physics book he found lying around – not that he understood it all, but it was better than being in the same room as her. Unfortunately, she seemed to be able to sniff out his spots and he had to rush off to find another one. He probably would’ve run out of places to hide if it wasn’t for the AI that seemed to run the whole house. Jarvis. He was one smart computer and seemed to notice Peter hiding, and occasionally he would speak, hinting at a new place for Peter to escape. Jarvis seemed to be the only person who cared about Peter. Though, maybe that wasn’t quite true. Mr. Stark wasn’t totally absent. Every once and a while he would eat with Peter, asking him how he was and what-not, but Peter could never bring himself to tell him about Miss Callaway. After all, Tony was busy, and Peter owed him a home. He didn’t want to complain about it, even if it was quite stressful. Not only that, but there was always a kind of rut between him and Mr. Stark, as if the guy wasn’t quite sure how to interact with a kid for prolonged periods of time…or maybe he was like that with people in general. Either way, Peter figured he would just have to wait it out until school started, then maybe things wouldn’t be so bad.

* * *

Tony was in over his head. What had he been thinking, taking in a kid? He didn’t know how to raise a child. His parents had barely even raised him – though really that fault fell more on his father than his mother. Nannies had been a big part of his life, which is why he got one for the kid. But even as he had been looking for one, a nagging guilt weighted on him. He had been raised by nannies and look how he had turned out. This kid deserved better than that. But then he rationalized that a nanny would be better than him, and it wasn’t like he would ignore the kid. Plus, he did all the research to make sure the nanny was a good one so it should be fine. But the kid still seemed…quiet, almost too quiet. Then again, he hadn’t been a very loud child to begin with. And so, Tony kept on with his work, saying hi to the kid, giving him some gifts, and making sure he was okay. It was for the best, right?

Wrong.

It was just another day. Tony was working on some ideas for using arc reactors as large-scale power sources when Jarvis casually reminded him that he hadn’t eaten since last night.

Leaning back in his chair, Tony rubbed his eyes and stretched before getting up. He didn’t know how long he had been working, but his body seemed to groan at him as he made his way out of the workshop and up the stairs.

Voices carried through the halls and a frown grew on Tony’s face. The house was usually pretty quiet, despite what time it was. Peter was quiet and the nanny didn’t do much talking either.

“This is not yours! You don’t touch things that aren’t yours!”

Tony found his feet moving faster. That didn’t sound good. Granted, he didn’t like people touching his things, but that was far too harsh for Peter, after all he was just a kid.

“I was only looking at it, I was just about to put it back.” Peter’s voice sounded so small compared to Miss Callaway’s.

Then Tony reached the top of the stairs and saw the scene in front of him.

The kid was holding a stuffed animal – one he had brought from his old home – clutching it to his chest. His eyes were averted to the floor. Miss Callaway stood above him, a book in her hand, a frown on her face.

“You brat! You are not to touch anything that isn’t yours.” Then she grabbed Peter’s stuffed animal and yanked it out of his hands. “I will keep this until you learn your lesson.”

“No! Not Freckles!” Panic lined Peter’s voice as he reached for the toy. And then it happened. A hand pulled back, a sharp smack. The nanny said something, but Tony couldn’t hear it through the anger that was now roaring in his ears.

“What do you think you are doing?!?” Tony yelled as he stomped into the room.

Peter took a few steps back and Miss Callaway seemed quite surprised to see Tony right there. “I was just…this child wasn’t following the rules so I-”

“You hit him!”

“But I-"

“Get out!”

“What no, I was just-“

“Get out of my house. NOW!”

Miss Callaway glared at Tony, but he was happy to see a little fear in her eyes. She turned on her heals to leave.

“Wait. The stuffed animal.”

She glared at him but shoved the animal at him. Then she walked away, muttering something about spoiled kids. Tony didn’t stop glaring until she was gone.

“Jarvis, make sure she can never get in here again.”

“Yes sir.”

Letting out a breath, Tony turned back to Peter, who was crouching behind a wall, fear glistening in his eyes.

“Hey, kid. It’s okay, she’s not coming back here.” Tony held out the stuffed bear. “Here, this is yours, right?”

Peter took a step out from behind the wall and tentatively took the bear, hugging it to his chest. He looked so terrified, which didn’t calm Tony’s anger any. He had let this happen, he hadn’t been paying enough attention and now this kid was paying the price.

“Peter,” Tony said, crouching down a little, hoping getting on the kid’s level might help him calm down some. “I’m sorry about that. About her…I thought she was an okay nanny but I guess I didn’t do my research well enough. Maybe I can find a better one, I’m sure there is-”

The fear on Peter’s face, which had been easing a little came back full force. Tony quickly lifted up his hand. “Okay, no more nannies or babysitters unless I personally know them, okay?”

After a moment, Peter nodded.

“Alright.” Tony nodded, not quite sure what to do now. He had rarely been alone with just Peter, and after that scene he felt even more unsure than before. How could he have let someone like that into his house? Never again.

“You hungry?” Tony asked, his empty stomach reminding him why he had come upstairs in the first place.

Peter nodded enthusiastically and Tony couldn’t hold back a small chuckle. “Come on then, you can help me throw together a few sandwiches.”

Tony wasn’t expecting Peter to help much, but the kid wasn’t a bad assistant, he laid out turkey and cheese quite well, and at the end of it all, he seemed quite pleased with his work.

Upon finishing his last sandwich, Tony got up to head downstairs, only to realize that if he went downstairs, the kid would be up here all by himself. Now, maybe that would be okay. After all, Peter didn’t seem like a very rambunctious kid, but it might be better if someone was around to keep an eye on him.

However, after a few calls, Tony found that Pepper was busy, Happy was visiting family, and Rhodey was out of the country. Seeing as Tony didn’t really have anyone else he trusted, he opted for the only other option he had.

“Hey kid, I have to do some work down in the lab. Why don’t you grab a book or something and you can read while I work?”

The look on the kid’s face was quite humorous. Wide eyes, a gaping mouth, and excitement lighting up his whole face. “Your lab?!? I can…I can see it?”

Tony didn’t quite know what to make of Peter’s excitement. It was…cute in a way but also very worrisome, excited kids could be a little…destructive. “Yup, but no touching. Reading only, okay?”

Peter nodded quickly. But then his nodding slowed down and he tilted his head a bit. “She took the book.”

“Huh?” It took a moment for Tony’s brain to connect what the kid was talking about. But then he realized Peter was talking about the nanny. She had walked out with a book, one of his books. “Well, I guess she broke her own rule about touching things she doesn’t own. But don’t worry, I can get another one, and I have plenty of other books you can read. Come on, we’ll find one that sounds good.”  
It turned out that Peter liked science books. Tony wasn’t sure how much the kid actually understood, but he was sitting at a table happily flipping through a Chemistry book Tony hadn’t realized he owned – he got quite a few books from people, probably hoping he would read them and recommend them. People didn’t seem to realize Tony preferred to read on a screen - it made it easier to look at while working, and it didn’t pose any threat of burning up either - but he still kept most of the books. At least until he found a school or something that would take them.

And so, Peter read while Tony worked. Occasionally, Tony got the feeling someone was looking at him, but whenever he looked up, Peter still seemed to be studying the book intently. That is until Tony glanced up very quickly and saw Peter staring at him - or really, the work he was doing – only to look down again when he caught Tony’s eye.

A smirk grew on Tony’s face and he found it staying there as he worked – aware of Peter watching him, but only glancing at the kid a few times. Who would have guessed Tony would’ve fostered the one kid that actually seemed intrigued by science? Maybe he would fit in okay after all.


	2. First Day of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has been adjusting to life at the Stark mansion, but now he has another challenge to face: school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by [shoyzz-art](http://shoyzz-art.tumblr.com/)

The school stood in front of Peter. It was big, though not as daunting when he compared it to the Stark mansion, but it was still intimidating. The past few weeks had been…nice. Sure, Mr. Stark didn’t always seem to know what he was doing - he still seemed awkward from time to time - but he was trying. He let Peter stay in his lab quite often, and as long as Peter didn’t actually touch anything, it was okay. That was harder than it sounded, but Peter forced himself to simply watch – which is what he ended up doing most of the time. Sure, books were nice, but actually seeing Tony Stark work was amazing. Peter didn’t always understand what he was doing, but it was intriguing. If he had a choice, he would stay at the mansion and watch Mr. Stark work, not bothering with school. Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to him. He was required to go to school, and so he was here.

There weren’t any other kids around – Happy had dropped him off early. Apparently, Mr. Stark hadn’t wanted him to be late – but now that he was here, he didn’t know what to do. There might be an office or something, but Peter didn’t know where it was, and Happy had already left. Grabbing the straps of his backpack – one of the many things he had picked out a few days earlier – he took a deep breath and started walking towards the doors of the school.

As he reached the doorway, however, Peter heard the crunch of tires on asphalt and he quickly spun around. A very nice car had just pulled up – one that looked eerily similar to the one Happy had drove him here in. The back door opened and a kid jumped out of the back seat. His black hair stuck up in unorderly spikes, as if it had been slicked down only to be ruffled up later.

“See you later, Bruno!” the kid called as he closed the door to the car and made his way towards the school. That’s when he spotted Peter. He stopped in his tracks and stared for a moment. Peter could feel his heart racing, he needed to do something. He had to make a good impression. But his body wasn’t cooperating, he was frozen and terrified.

Then the other boy smiled and he walked forward. “You must be new? I’m Harry.” He held out his hand and Peter hesitantly shook it.

“Peter…I’m Peter.”

“Nice to meet you, Peter. You get here early too? My dad always insists on it. He couldn’t bear having me be tardy and tarnish his reputation.” As he spoke, Harry rolled his eyes, but there was only amusement on his face. “Come on, I’ll show you around and we can figure out which class you’ll be in.”

All the worry that had been building up in Peter’s chest eased. Maybe he didn’t know Harry very well, but at least he wasn’t alone now. He wouldn’t he walking through all of this blindly.

“Thanks,” Peter said, following Harry inside the school. It was a pretty basic layout for a school, the entrance way was fairly wide and welcoming, with hallways branching off in opposite directions. The office was right in the middle.

“No prob,” Harry said as he walked into the office and greeted the receptionist, filling her in on Peter’s situation.

“Ah yes, I remember Miss Fairday telling me about you,” the receptionist said, curiosity brimming in her eyes as she looked at Peter. “Is it true you live with-?”

“So what class am I in?” Peter asked, maybe a little too quickly. He hated interrupting people, but he didn’t exactly want everyone to know that he was living at the Stark mansion with Tony Stark himself. As a new kid, he would probably attract enough attention as it was, he really didn’t want any more reasons for people to stare at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Peter could see Harry giving him a confused look, but Peter tried not to focus on that.

“Let’s see…you are in Mr. Martin’s class. Classroom D.” The receptionist was still looking at Peter excitedly, but she seemed to be trying to keep her smile tame.

“Sweet!” Harry said, “I’m in Mr. Martin’s class too. You’ll love it! He’s super cool. If we hurry, you could even meet him before class starts.”

“Really?” Peter said, quite relieved that he would be able to stick by Harry to get though the first day.

Harry laughed. “Yeah, of course, we still have a few minutes before class starts. Follow me!”

Mr. Martin turned out to be a middle-aged man with slightly graying auburn hair and an air of calmness about him.

“Mr. Osborn, early as always I see.” The teacher welcomed Harry then caught sight of Peter. “And, you must be Mr. Parker.”

Peter froze at that. Parker. He hadn’t heard his last name in quite a while, and hearing it send a brick of pain slamming into his heart. Mr. Parker. The very name so many people had called his dad.

“Are you okay?”

Peter wasn’t sure who had asked it, but he tried to shake away the memories and the pain as he nodded his head. “Y-yeah, I’m okay.” He quickly focused on the classroom, hoping to hide the tears that had started building up in his eyes. “Where should I sit?”

“You can sit with me,” Harry said, walking to one of the tables near the front of the room and placing his backpack down. Peter followed suit, pulling out a pencil and some paper. He could feel Harry’s eyes on him, and was sure his newfound friend had a bazillion questions to ask him, but before he could ask any, the door opened and a few more students came in. Before long, the room was full and the bell had rung.

Mr. Martin introduced Peter – who wanted to hide when everyone looked at him - but somehow managed a wave and a smile, though how realistic it was, he didn’t know.

The next few hours went by quickly. Most of the subjects, Peter was oblivious about. He had missed quite a lot coming in during the middle of the semester. It was all a little overwhelming. But Mr. Martin must have seen the worry on his face because he quickly assured Peter that he would be given leeway in tests until he had caught up.

Before he knew it, lunch had arrived. Peter sat with Harry – seeing as he was the only person he knew. A few other people sat with them, though their names seemed to be lost in conversation and the noise of the cafeteria. And then it was back to the classroom, where time flew once again.

And then the school day was over and Peter was sitting on the steps of the school, watching other kids get picked up. Harry flopped down next to him – he had run off after the bell had rung and left Peter alone to wonder where he had gone.

“Where did you run off to?” Peter asked, not wanting to admit how hurt he was that his only possible friend had run off without saying anything.

Harry waved his hand. “It’s nothing, just something for my dad. What I’m wondering is, what’s your deal? Interrupting people in mid-sentence when your home is mentioned, freezing up when Mr. Martin said your name. What’s the deal?”

Peter kicked a pebble of gravel with his foot. “It’s nothing…I just…didn’t want to attract any more attention to myself, that’s all.”

Silence. Then, “What, your family own some big tech company or something?”

Peter’s head snapped up. “What? How did you…? I mean uh…I uh…”

A laugh escaped Harry’s mouth. “Dude, relax. You aren’t the only one with famous parents. I’m an Osborn, leading researchers in biological enhancements. My first day here, Mr. Martin was quite impressed. Granted, not all the kids knew about my family, but some did. It took me a while to find my groove, but it’s all cool now. You’ll find your place, just gotta be patient.”

It was nice to hear, and while it didn’t quell all of Peter’s worries, it helped. “You really think so?”

“Totally. So, what’s the Parker family’s big secret?”

Peter winced at the name again, but he tried not to think about it. “Nothing…I’m the only Parker left. It’s my umm…foster family that’s uh…”

“Difficult? Dangerous? Embarrassing?”

“Popular?” Peter said hesitantly. He didn’t really want to tell anyone, but in a way Harry was like him, a little bit in the shadow of his father’s company. “See I was kind of taken in by um…Tony Stark.” He said Tony’s name quickly and quietly, still unsure if he wanted to tell anyone, but Harry still heard.

“What?!? No way! You’re living with-” Harry seemed to realize how his exclamation had gained the attention of a few of their fellow students and he quickly lowered his voice. “-the Tony Stark? As in Iron Man himself?”

Heat rushed to Peter’s cheeks but he nodded slowly.

“Dude, no wonder you didn’t say anything. I mean, granted, being noticed isn’t terrible but man, you’d be the talk of the school if people knew!”

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Peter said quickly.

“Ah, don’t worry, I won’t say anything but, man! That’s so cool!”

A car horn honked and Peter looked up, his cheeks growing even redder as he saw Happy parked in front of him, tapping his watch.

“I got to go! See you tomorrow…right?” Peter asked.

Harry nodded excitedly in agreement. “Totally!”


	3. A True Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as the Stark mansion starts to feel like home, Peter has to leave, and it's harder than he could've ever imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by [shoyzz-art](http://shoyzz-art.tumblr.com/)

School was going well, and the mansion wasn’t quite as daunting as it had once been. Soon Peter got caught up in the rush of it all, not having time to think about anything but school. And Mr. Stark’s projects. While Peter never worked on them, he kept watching, wanting to understand what he was doing, but not wanting to overstep his boundaries. So, he worked on school while keeping an eye on Tony’s work as well, just in case. Peter also kept in touch with Harry, who soon became a close friend. Everything was going so well, and Peter actually felt happy. Maybe this would be okay.

Then everything fell apart.

It started when the social worker showed up. Peter usually wasn’t alone at the house. Scratch that, this was the only time he had been. Mr. Stark had a meeting and Happy had run out just for a moment to bring Tony a gadget that he had forgotten. And of course, that’s when the worker showed up.

Peter didn’t see what the problem was, but apparently it was a huge deal. That and the fact that a few months ago Peter had said the mansion didn’t always feel like a home. He tried to let them know that wasn’t the case anymore. Sure, it wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad either. But there was no changing any minds. Not even Mr. Stark’s money could fix it. Once word got out about the inquiry, Tony had to be careful, if he was found bribing the foster system just to keep a kid it might ruin his reputation even more.

Goodbyes were always hard, and Peter was dreading this one. But as it turned out, he didn’t need to worry. The worker came, picked him up and left without so much as a word from Mr. Stark -unless you counted the physics book he had given Peter that morning. It stung a little, which surprised Peter. As daunting as it had seemed at first, the mansion had become a home and Tony had become a…friend of sorts. Yes, there were still times when he really didn’t seem all there, but he did seem to care.

Don’t think about it. That’s what Peter told himself as he was driven away. This had been too good to be true anyway. Maybe this was for the best…

Or maybe not.

It might not have been so bad if Peter could still see Harry. But the foster family he was assigned to lived too far away from the school for him to go. That and the school itself was far too expensive. Peter had never realized Mr. Stark had enrolled him in such a high-end school. But of course he had, he was Tony Stark, nothing was too expensive for him. Except maybe losing his reputation for a kid.

_No, don’t think like that._ Peter told himself over and over again. But as the days went on, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it over and over again. Maybe if things weren’t so bad at his new house, it would be better, but some days the thought of returning to the Stark mansion was about the only thing that kept him going. Until one night he couldn’t take it anymore.

* * *

Peter’s back ached, his head throbbed and he knew he had a few bruises all over his body. And he was terrified. Each step, he winced, scared of making even the slightest bit of noise. He wished he could just sneak out the window, but he knew it was too high up. So, he had to go down the stairs.

The sound of a TV was playing from the front room. Barely daring to breathe, Peter poked his head around the corner and saw Mr. Oderon sleeping, a beer can in his hand. How him and his wife had ever qualified to foster anyone was a mystery. All they had done since Peter had arrived was yell at him and make him clean up everything. And if he didn’t? Peter rubbed his back. Well, they were good at hitting at least.

Clutching his small duffle bag – one of the things he had kept from Mr. Stark – Peter made his way to the outlet in the wall. Mr. Oderon’s cell phone was charging, as it always was. It was a risk – it could be tracked, but it was a risk Peter had to take. Carefully, he turned off the volume on the phone before unplugging it. It had a lock on it, but his foster parents were anything but subtle when it came to hiding the code from him.

Glancing at Mr. Oderon, Peter noted that he was still sleeping – he tended to sleep well on Fridays, but it was never wrong to be too careful. Forcing himself to breathe quietly and walk slowly, Peter make his way to the door. Then he carefully unlocked it, opened it, and slipped out.

The night air filled his lungs. It was cold, but it was better than the damp stench of the house. Peter forced himself to walk slowly until he was off the porch, then he reached the end of the driveway.

And then, he ran.

Gravel crunched under his feet. Within a few minutes, his lungs were aching from the cool air and exertion, but he kept running. He had to get away from that place, and he could only think of once place he would find safety.

The highway came into view as Peter slowed down, forced to ease his pace by the overwhelming tightness in his chest. Once he caught his breath, Peter looked around. For the first time he realized how alone he was, and how much danger he could be in.

Pulling out the phone, he pulled out a slip of paper and typed in the number.

It rang and Peter let out a breath.

But the tenseness in his shoulders grew as no one answered.

“Please, please, please,” he whispered.

No answer.

Peter tried again, and again. Then finally…

“I don’t want your freaking free whatever you are selling. STOP CALLING!”

“Happy!” Peter could’ve cried when he heard the voice of Mr. Stark’s driver.

There was a pause.

“Peter?”

“Yes, Happy, please, you have to pick me up! The family I’m with is terrible. Please I can’t stay here!”

More silence. “Let me call you back.”

“No Happy, please!”

The phone clicked off. Peter pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. That was it. Happy had just hung up on him. Now what was he going to do?

Sinking to his knees, Peter tried not to cry, he tried to hold it together. Maybe he could find someone else to take him in and listen to him, or…something.  
Then the phone rang and Peter quickly answered it, not even checking the number.

“Happy?”

“No kid, it’s me.” Mr. Stark’s voice sounded over the phone and the tears Peter had been holding back fell.

“Look, I’m tracking your phone right now. I’ll be there soon, okay? Then you can fill me in on everything.”

“Okay.” Peter’s voice sounded small, even to him, but help was coming, he was going to be okay.

“Good.”

And once again, Peter was waiting. But this time he didn’t feel so helpless. Mr. Stark stayed on the line, talking about one of the projects he had been working on. It was hard to understand it without seeing it, but it was nice to think about something else.

Then a bright light caught Peter’s attention. A flare in the sky. No, not a flare. He knew that look, that sound. Mr. Stark had flown in a suit to come and get him.  
The suit thumped to the ground and Mr. Stark stepped out.

A flurry of emotions washed over Peter, relief, fear, happiness. He couldn’t think strait, and before he knew it, he was racing towards him.

“Tony!” He flung himself at Mr. Stark, not even realizing he had called him by his first name. He was too overwhelmed to even think about it. All the pain and fear that had been building up over the past few weeks crashed over him. Tears fell down his cheeks as he clung to Tony.

Mr. Stark was stiff, probably shocked, but then his arms wrapped around Peter. They didn’t squeeze him tight, but they were firm, comforting.

“Hey kid, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

Peter knew he was crying too much, but he couldn’t stop the tears. Weeks of hurt, of sore backs and living in fear came rushing out of him.

“I can’t go back there, I just can’t.” The words were broken up by sobs, but Peter had to say it, he had to let Tony know. Because if he didn’t, he would be sent back.  
“You won’t. I’ll make sure you’re put with a good family.”

The words were meant to be comforting, but they only scared Peter more. “No I…I don’t…I don’t want another family. I want to come back and live with you.”

Silence. That was all Peter was met with. Fear built up in his chest, he didn’t want another chance for things to go wrong. “Please,” he whispered.

Silence, again. Then, “Alright kiddo…I’ll see what I can do.”

* * *

A few days later, Peter was hit with a sense of déjà vu as he was driven up to the Stark mansion again. It looked the same as before, but this time there was no dread, no second guessing. As soon as the car stopped, Peter jumped out and raced inside. It was still huge, but somehow it felt warmer, more welcoming.

“There he is.”

Tony was standing in the kitchen, smiling at Peter. Peter smiled back and for the first time in a long time, he felt at peace. He was safe now. Tony had downright adopted him. This was his home now, and no one could take him away from it ever again.


End file.
